US Passport Photo Standards and 2x2 Maker

Meet the US passport photo standards in a minute: a 2 x 2 inch photo with your head the right size, a plain white background and no glasses. Ready for the online form or a 4x6 print.

2 x 2 in · 600 x 600 pxWhite background54 to 240 KB Runs on your device

US Passport · Step 1 of 4 · Add your photo

Drag your photo here

or paste with Ctrl+V · JPG PNG WebP HEIC GIF · max 25 MB

Passport · United States · 2 x 2 in · White

Processed on this device. Nothing is uploaded.

Example

Before and after

We ran this sample through the us passport tool above. The numbers under each image are measured from the real files.

Sample input: 3974 x 5000 px · 1.2 MB · JPG — **Before**3974 x 5000 px · 1.2 MB · JPG

Result from this tool: 600 x 600 px · 58.1 KB · JPG — **After**600 x 600 px · 58.1 KB · JPGThe actual file the tool made

How to

How to make a US passport photo

1
Add a front-facing photo
Plain wall, even light, eyes open, a neutral face or a closed-mouth smile.
2
Check the crop
The tool frames your head at 1 to 1 3/8 inches, chin to top of hair. Drag the frame if it needs a nudge.
3
Make the background white
One tap replaces the wall behind you with pure white.
4
Download
A 600 x 600 JPG between 54 and 240 KB for online forms, or a 4x6 sheet with six photos to print.

Why this size

US passport photo standards

The State Department asks for a color photo 2 x 2 inches in size, taken in the last six months. Your head, from the bottom of the chin to the top of the hair, must be 1 to 1 3/8 inches tall (25 to 35 mm), with your eyes between 1 1/8 and 1 3/8 inches from the bottom of the photo. The background is plain white or off-white with no shadows, and glasses are not allowed.

For online passport renewal the photo is a file: a square image from 600 x 600 to 1200 x 1200 pixels, between 54 KB and 10 MB. The DS-160 visa form takes the same pixel sizes but no more than 240 KB. This tool makes a 600 x 600 JPG between 54 and 240 KB, so one file works for both.

To measure a printed passport photo, hold a ruler against it: 2 inches on each side, and 1 to 1 3/8 inches from chin to crown.

The photo must be your camera's original: no filters, no beauty mode and no AI edits, because the State Department rejects altered photos. To print, download the 4 x 6 inch sheet and order one standard 4x6 print at a pharmacy photo counter such as CVS or Walgreens, then cut out the photos; the 4x6 photo page explains the print settings. Before you mail the application, run the free quick check in the US passport photo validator. A 2 x 2 inch photo for a Philippine school or job form follows other rules, often with a name tag: use the 2x2 picture maker for that.

Rule	Value
Photo size	2 x 2 in (51 x 51 mm)
Digital size	600 x 600 to 1200 x 1200 px
Head height	1 to 1 3/8 in
Eye height	1 1/8 to 1 3/8 in
Background	White or off-white
Glasses	Not allowed
Taken within	6 months
Online renewal file	54 KB to 10 MB
DS-160 visa file	Up to 240 KB

Avoid

Common mistakes that get photos rejected

Head too smallThe face should fill 70-80% of the height. Crop closer if there is a lot of wall above you.
Shadows on the wallStand a step away from the wall and face a window so the light falls on you, not behind you.
Wrong size for the countryA US 2 x 2 in photo is not valid for a 3.5 x 4.5 cm passport. Pick your country first.
Glasses or a tilted headMost offices want no glasses and a straight, neutral face looking at the camera.
Over-compressed fileBlocky pixels can fail automated checks. Stay above 30 KB if the form allows it.

FAQ

US Passport: questions

A recent color photo, 2 x 2 inches, with the head 1 to 1 3/8 inches tall, a plain white or off white background, a neutral face, both eyes open and no glasses. Digital photos are 600 x 600 to 1200 x 1200 pixels.

Download the 4 x 6 inch sheet with six 2 x 2 inch photos and order one 4x6 print at a pharmacy photo counter (CVS, Walgreens and Walmart all print them) or print it at home on photo paper at 100% scale. Cut along the lines; each photo measures exactly 2 x 2 inches.

The same 2 x 2 inch size and white background, but an infant's eyes may be closed and no other person may be in the photo. Lay the baby on a white sheet or use a car seat covered with one; the baby passport photo page shows how.

With a ruler: the photo is 2 inches on each side, and the head, from the bottom of the chin to the top of the hair, measures 1 to 1 3/8 inches. The tool finds your face and sizes the head to that range for you.

600 x 600 pixels at 300 DPI, the smallest size the State Department accepts for digital photos. It accepts up to 1200 x 1200.

Download the print sheet: six 2 x 2 inch photos on one 4 x 6 inch image. Print it at 100% (actual size) at home or at a pharmacy photo counter, then cut along the lines.

2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm), with the head 1 to 1 3/8 inches from the bottom of the chin to the top of the hair. A digital photo is a square of 600 x 600 to 1200 x 1200 pixels.

Yes, a little. The State Department accepts a neutral expression or a natural smile with both eyes open and the mouth closed. A wide smile that shows your teeth can get the photo rejected.

Your normal everyday clothes. Uniforms, clothing that looks like a uniform and camouflage are not allowed, and hats and head coverings come off unless you wear them daily for religious reasons or need them for a medical one, with a signed statement. Avoid a white top against the white background.

No. Since 2016 glasses are not allowed in US passport photos, except for rare medical reasons with a doctor's note.

Yes. US visas and USCIS forms use the same 2 x 2 inch photo with a white background. For the DS-160 visa form the file stays under 240 KB; other countries' visa sizes are on the visa photo page.

Taken in the last six months, and it should look like you do today.

No. The whole process runs in your browser.

Checked

How we checked this page

Checked by the SizePort team on 11 October 2026.

We compare every size and rule on this page with the official sources below, and test the tool with sample photos before it goes live. Rules and platforms change, so if something here is out of date, tell us and we will correct it.

How the tool works

A small face detection model (YuNet, about 230 KB) runs in your browser, finds your eyes and chin, and places the frame so the head fills the share of the height the country asks for. You can move the frame. The tool then crops to the country's shape, can replace the background with the on-device AI model, and resizes to the official size at 300 DPI. Where the country sets a file size range, it keeps the JPG inside it. Everything happens in your browser; your images are never uploaded.